Wednesday, March 21, 2007

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday Iran would hit back if attacked over its nuclear program, which the United States believes is aimed at making atom bombs.

Khamenei, who has previously threatened U.S. regional interests if attacked, was addressing a big crowd of pilgrims at Iran's holiest shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad to mark the Iranian new year, which falls on March 21.

"If they want to threaten us and use force and violence against us, they should not doubt that Iranian officials will use all they have in their power to deal a blow to those who assault them," he said in the speech aired on television.

The U.N. Security Council is this week considering new sanctions against Iran over its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program, whose product can be used to make fuel for power generation or, when more highly enriched, nuclear weapons.

But Khamenei's speech, and a defiant New Year address by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad earlier on Wednesday, showed no intention by Iran of bowing to foreign pressure.

The world's fourth-largest oil exporter insists the program is peaceful and aimed only at generating electricity.

Khamenei said Iran's nuclear work followed international rules, but if major powers via the Security Council took "illegal actions" and ignored Iran's rights, "we can also carry out illegal actions and we will do that."

Washington has said it would prefer a diplomatic solution to the stand-off, but has not ruled out military options, though Britain's Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said world powers were not preparing for a strike against Tehran.

"No one is preparing for military action," she told reporters in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi after talks with officials of the Gulf Arab ally.

"The purpose of sanctions, the purpose of pushing further pressure on Iran is to get them to negotiations," Beckett said. "We all very much hope that they will."

The UAE and fellow U.S.-allied Gulf Arab neighbors of Iran have expressed concern over its nuclear program and raised fears of a regional nuclear race they announced plans to acquire nuclear energy capability in December.

Khamenei said Iran is ready to sign a joint defense treaty with Gulf countries, state television said, without elaborating.

PSYCHOLOGY

In his address earlier on Wednesday, Ahmadinejad accused some big powers of waging psychological warfare against Iran.

"By psychological warfare, propaganda and misuse of the organizations they have themselves created ... they are trying to prevent our nation's development," Ahmadinejad said.

He has previously accused the United States and Britain of using the Security Council as a tool against Iran.

It is a follow-up to a previous resolution adopted by the Council in December and was expected to be voted on this week after Germany and permanent council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States agreed on the text.

But South Africa, the council's current chair, has called for all the main proposed sanctions to be dropped. The council could probably adopt the measure without South African backing, but the major powers had wanted it passed unanimously.

Project Genesis:

About the Artist

My name is BriAnna Olson, this blog is regarding my wanting to visit Iran, then visiting Iran, followed by my realization that the Western world has an largely inaccurate image of Iran. Pretty straightforward, really.
(more here: iran.lovevolution.org )
More about me here:
bri.lovevolution.org